John Mark Lawton ’15, M ’21 gives an inside look at the updates behind one of Clemson’s most visible outdoor labs
Walking Clemson University’s Restoration Agriculture Farm with John Mark Lawton, you get lessons in history, horticulture and entomology, with a dash of civil engineering and depending on the season, perhaps a tasting.
Lawton manages this 10-acre section of Calhoun Fields, the 80-acre agricultural research complex visible from Perimeter Road on Clemson’s main campus. Established in 2022, the Restoration Agriculture Farm occupies its own section of Calhoun Fields and is already beginning to resemble a young forest more than a traditional field.
And that’s the point.
Its mission is to show how farmland can be restored without taking it out of production. Trees, shrubs and crops mimic the layered structure of the region’s native oak-pine forests while leaving room to keep growing food. It is a working site for research, teaching and Extension, where questions about water, soil, crops and wildlife can be studied within the same landscape.
“This farm is designed to work with natural ecosystems rather than against them,” Lawton said. “That’s what makes it exciting. We’re thinking about productivity but also about soil, water, wildlife and the long-term health of the landscape.”
On ground roughly 40 feet below Lake Hartwell, water management is essential. Nine concentric, semicircular rows follow raised berms and shallow swales that slow and redirect runoff during heavy rain, reducing erosion and standing water.
Within the curves, each plant is expected to do more than produce food. Trees build soil and provide shade. Shrubs offer wildlife habitat. Cover crops suppress weeds. Wildflowers absorb water while providing food and habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects. In time, annual and perennial crops will fill the alleys and, if Lawton has his way, chickens may join the system.
Together, these layers could give farmers multiple sources of income while improving the health and resilience of the land.
For Lawton, one of the clearest signs of the farm’s impact comes from the students who work and learn there.
“Seeing students engage in hands-on learning, ask thoughtful questions and brainstorm new ideas about how we interact with the land gives me confidence that the farm is fulfilling its mission,” he said.
For now, much of the landscape remains a work in progress. The trees are young, and many of the
questions the farm was created to explore are only beginning to emerge.
Rather than seeing that as a limitation, Lawton sees an opportunity for more people and disciplines to shape what the farm becomes.
“I can’t emphasize enough that this farm is open for collaboration,” he said. “We want students, faculty, researchers and partners from across campus to see it as a place where their questions can take root. Restoration agriculture is inherently multidisciplinary. It’s plants, soil, water, wildlife, climate and people all working together.”
He also hopes the farm’s influence extends beyond the University.
“When people drive past the farm on Perimeter Road, I hope it sparks their curiosity,” Lawton said. “I hope it encourages people to think differently about agriculture and land management — and about approaches that can benefit both people and the environment.”
Future of Forestry
Just up the road from Calhoun Fields, Clemson University’s new Forestry and Environmental Conservation building showcases the connection between the natural and built environments. Opened to students this Fall, it replaces the department’s longtime home, Lehotsky Hall.
Constructed with mass timber, including longleaf pine harvested from South Carolina’s Brosnan Forest, the building pairs renewable materials and bird-friendly glass to demonstrate how thoughtful design can support sustainable forestry and environmental stewardship.
Inside, the warmth of exposed wood and abundant natural light blur the boundary between indoors and out. Flexible classrooms, shared research labs and gathering spaces bring students and faculty together. Steps away, a garden courtyard and access to nearby Hunnicutt Creek make it easy to move between the classroom and the field.
Designed for collaboration as much as discovery, the work that begins here will equip the next generation to develop new solutions for the environmental challenges ahead.
